Heroes Don't Always Win
by SnowFallsSlow
Summary: While stopping a bank robbery, something awful happened. Now, Robin has a chance to make up for something he's convinced is his fault. But what if the supposed victim wants nothing to do with him? Robin, can't you see that heroes don't always win?
1. Here Today

_I'm taking a quick break from _Confiscated_ because I'm having trouble with writing Robin's character. Don't worry; I haven't given up on the story, I just want to do the characters justice. (Doing superheroes justice; I'm sure there's a pun hiding there somewhere) So, without further ado, I give you _Heroes Don't Always Win_, a short story about Robin._

* * *

How had this happened?

That was all Robin could think of as he stared in horror at one of the civilians he had sworn to protect, face first on the ground in a slowly growing puddle of her own crimson blood. Worse, she had fallen in a terrible reversal of rolls: trying to save his life.

The day, even the robbery, had started out rather routine. He'd woken up early –not that six thirty was all _that_ early; it was positively sleeping in by Bruce's standards- and quietly, so as not to disturb Raven, who was sipping something steaming and reading silently, gotten himself an easy breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs with a tall glass of orange juice. Cyborg had come down next, turning on the TV and fixing it to a marathon of MythBusters, but waiting on breakfast so he could rub the sizzling bacon in his vegetarian friend's face (figuratively, of course). Starfire had floated in soon after, sleepily greeting them all and stooping to snatch a bottle of mustard from the fridge. Beast Boy had stumbled in last, sometime around nine twenty, yawning in an incredibly feline way as he loudly greeted them each and said something about making tofu.

Before the argument could even begin, however, the room had flashed red, alerting them all to a robbery in progress; the HIVE students Jinx, Gismo, and Mammoth were causing trouble downtown. Through an excellent display of teamwork (in other circumstances, Robin might have beamed at the memory) he and his friends had taken them down and the Jump City Police Department, Meta-Human Branch, had escorted them to a high security area of the local prison. The Titans had gone back home for a good part of the day, till about an hour ago. That was when the call had come in about the armed bank robbery.

"There's hostages," Robin briefed his team quickly as they piled into the T-car. "Chief of Police says there's at least five guys, all armed." Beast Boy looked nervous. With the possible exceptions of Cyborg, who was mostly metal had little actual skin, and Starfire, because, who knew, she might be bulletproof, guns were a big deal for the whole team.

"Five guys? Bad odds… for them!" The joke was a little strained, Robin had to admit, but Cyborg agreed with the team's youngest member before he could contradict him.

"No kidding, man! I almost feel sorry for 'em." The two grinned at each other, and Cyborg repeated the most important word in the statement: "Almost." Robin was silent for a moment, allowing the two their up-lifting banter, before continuing.

"They're not cooperating with the local enforcements, so we got called. Beast Boy," Robin focused on the green-skinned boy for a moment, ensuring he had his attention. "You and Cyborg are going in the back door, take down at least one man each." The two boys nodded. "Raven, Starfire, head in through the roof. Same thing: disarm and disable." The violet-haired mage and green-eyed girl nodded as well, showing they understood. "I know I don't have to say this, but _be careful_. These guys are armed and probably getting agitated."

Everything had gone so routinely according to plan: five men lay on the ground, unconscious, with their weapons crushed by Starfire's or Cyborg's incredible strength, mangled by Beast Boy's bear form, or dismantled by Raven's black aura. Robin and the others were starting to free the hostages, among them the black-haired girl now dead on the floor. Unbeknownst to them, however, there had been a sixth man, armed with a handgun, who still hadn't given up. A small bag of cash hidden under his shirt, the man, a short, unassuming individual, had started for the doors. After that, it had gotten a little blurry.

"Hey, you!" Robin wasn't sure which of his teammates had shouted, which of them had noticed the fair-haired man sneaking away; it may have even been him. "Stop right there!" Wild-eyed, the man had spun around, pulling the handgun from his belt. For reasons Robin would never understand –maybe he was just the closest, or maybe the man had it in for him-, the gun was pointed right at his chest. The fair-haired man closed his eyes, as though cringing away from the gunshot he knew was about to come, and just as he pulled the trigger, someone screamed. Somehow, maybe with adrenaline, he'd heard some pretty impressive stories about the stuff, the black-haired girl had gotten between him and the armed, fair-haired man.

It hadn't been anything like the movies, Robin could remember that much crystal clearly: she didn't look around, dazed and confused, or say something quirky or memorable and stagger to her death. She just…collapsed. She gave a strangled, groaning gasp, and fell face-first onto the smooth tile floor, unmoving. Robin watched her fall, but stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to understand what had just happened.

Luckily, his team reacted quickly. The man didn't have time to shoot again –heck, he probably hadn't even realized that he'd missed- before Raven's dark magic enveloped the gun and ripped it out of his hands, taking it apart expertly. Robin, feeling oddly detached from his body, his situation, heard the pieces clatter to the floor. Starfire gave an angry shout and the last man fell unconscious with a bloody nose and a soon-to-be black eye. That was where they were presently.

"Robin?" Starfire's hand touched his shoulder, snapping him back to reality, and he shrugged it off. "Robin, please-"

"She's dead." His voice sounded flat and emotionless, even to him. Robin tore his eyes away from the girl's motionless body, looking up at Starfire's brimming green eyes. She bit her lip, nodding a little. "My God, Starfire; she's dead." He looked back at the girl, disbelief still coloring his tone even as he realized what had happened, tainting the horror that made his voice crack. She was dead, and he wasn't; the idea was so perverse. How had he let this happen? The red haired alien girl snaked her arm across his shoulders to comfort him, and this time he turned into her embrace, accepting the pitying hug.

"Robin," she murmured, "there is nothing you could have-" She was cut off by a sudden groan, followed quickly by coughing and a weakly muttered curse.

The two heroes turned, eyes and mask lenses wide with surprise. The black-haired girl was…moving. Shaking slightly, she lifted herself off the ground, coughing violently. Sitting cross-legged in front of a pool of her own blood, she spat a mouthful of crimson and a bullet out into her hand. "Ugh, gross," she said, making a disgusted face and tipping the bullet out of her hand and onto the smooth tile floor. She looked up, around at the faces that stared at her from every direction, some terrified, some thrilled, others thunderstruck. "Man, that was way stupid…"

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. I haven't even seen them all yet._

_This will probably only be two or three chapters long; but it's not over yet. Please tell me how Robin turned out; this is basically an exercise in writing him._

_Thank you for reading!_

…_SnowFallsSlow…_


	2. Spilled Milk

_Hey, SnowFallsSlow here! School got out today, so updates should get a little faster. I may be going on vacation soon, though, but be prepared to read, because nothing's certain in my life at the moment. There's not a whole lot of Robin in this chapter, I don't think. _

_Also, I've figured out that this is going to be longer than I thought. I'm not very good at guessing how many chapters something will be, it seems. So, this may be a longer ride than you bargained for. I hope I can make it worth your while._

* * *

Cyborg glanced at his teammates, wondering how he should react. Excited that the girl was alive? _(She couldn't have been, his systems argued, the shot was lethal, at point blank range) _Terrified, like she was some sort of zombie, risen from a grave she hadn't even entered? _(Also illogical, his systems declared, zombies are only real in fiction)_ Or just plain surprised? Starfire and Robin were hugging, though he wasn't sure if she had been comforting the Boy Wonder before the dead girl spoke, or if they were clutching each other out of surprise, so that was unhelpful. Raven had already composed herself; her hood was up and she was peering around at the faces of the civilians, as though she, too, were evaluating the situation. Beast Boy was standing there, mouth agape. He was clearly surprised; eyes wide and body rigid. Cyborg returned his eyes to the black-haired girl, who was sitting on the floor, and waited to see what she would do.

She slowly stood up, legs shaking a little, perhaps going into shock, and cast a nervous glance around. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, smearing away the blood as though it was something embarrassing like drool as opposed to something as frightening as spilt lifeblood, as though she'd fallen asleep instead of dead. Almost casually, she looked down at herself, like she'd tripped and was checking herself for injuries. "Dang," she groaned, "this was my favorite shirt."

Just like that, the tension vanished. A couple of people laughed, others began private conversations, now that the silence that began with the gunshot was broken. The civilians began to leave, deciding that whatever they had been at the bank for could wait until after their friends and family knew they were okay, and they'd had the chance to tell the black haired girl's story a few times.

The black haired girl looked down at the puddle of her blood, feeling a little dizzy. She knew from experience that the feeling would wear off soon enough, as her body told her blood to replicate itself, to remedy the deficit. Looking down guiltily, she wished she had a mop; she couldn't stop thinking about the janitor that was going to have to clean up after her, get rid of her mess. She scowled down at her scarlet-soaked clothes; the comment she'd made about this being her favorite shirt hadn't been a jest. Her hand reached up and her fingers sifted through her dark, untidy hair as she headed toward the glass double-doors.

The room spun a little, throwing off her balance, and caused her to stumble. Before she could even think to catch herself, a strong hand -surprisingly cold, she could feel it through her sleeve- caught her by the shoulder. "Careful." She froze. She'd heard that voice before. "Don't fall and hurt yourself." Cyborg, one of the Teen Titans, was speaking to her. Crap.

"Yeah," she agreed, rolling her eyes but unable to pass up the chance at banter. "'Cause I bruise so easy." She tried to pull away from him, but it seemed the exploits she'd seen on the news hadn't embellished his strength at all; if anything, they might have downplayed it. Resigning herself to whatever was to come (_maybe they'd be cool about it; a simple thanks and maybe a high five_) and berating herself for not getting out of the bank quickly enough (_not that she'd've been able to slip away quietly with all this blood on her shirt_), she turned to face the local hero. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized all five of them had gathered around her; that was more than she'd bargained for.

Cyborg, the tall, half-metal one, kept his hand on her shoulder, as though he was trying to help steady the swaying room. Raven, the purple-eyed sorceress, floated behind him, as though wanting to get a good view of the freak that had survived the gunshot without getting too close. Starfire, the purple-clad alien girl, stood to his left and clung to her leader, her arms wrapped around him in an almost protective manner; he'd nearly been taken from her once today, she would not allow it to come that close again any time soon. Beast Boy, the green boy with pointed ears, hung back from the group, looking uncomfortable; maybe he was a little squeamish. Robin himself, the red-chested leader, was nearly as close as Cyborg.

"Are you okay?" The question made her want to laugh. Okay? She'd stopped feeling any pain a long time ago; the only conceivable not okay-ness that could be plaguing her was the little voice in the back of her head that was telling her she'd screwed up, big time. Instead of laughing in the concerned boy's masked face, she nodded, making the mistake of smiling and showing her teeth. The copper taste was still in her mouth, and, judging by the fact they'd all just gotten a little sicker-looking, her teeth were still red from coughing up the bullet.

"'M fine," muttered the black haired girl, the smile dropping off her face. He'd tried not to react to her stained teeth –stained with blood that should have been his- and too-red lips, but she seemed to have figured out his disgust anyway.

"That wasn't safe; you could've been seriously hurt." Now that he knew she was fine, Robin slipped into scolding leader mode, letting the familiar lecture hide his gratitude at the fact it hadn't been him, that he was fine while she'd been shot. "You're a civilian. Leave the risky stuff for the heroes next time, okay?" The words were different –it was usually more along the lines of 'pay more attention next time'- but the tone and mindset were much the same. She was safe and he was glad, but Robin had to address the fact that she'd put herself in danger.

"I'll be fine," she said, her brows furrowed in something close to irritation. "Give the dizzy a few minutes to go away, and I'll be right as rain. Always am."

"Always?" Beast Boy, who was still several feet away, echoed her words. "As in, this has happened to you before?" Disbelief colored his tone, complimented by a touch of awe. She gave a weak smile, careful, Robin noticed, to keep her teeth hidden.

"Sort of," she clarified. "I've never been _shot_ before, but… I'm kinda accident-prone." Beast Boy laughed and relaxed a bit; Robin noted that the black-haired girl seemed to try to diffuse tense situations with humor, even at her own expense.

"Thank you for your assistance," Starfire said stiffly. "I am most glad for the safety of our friend." Raven stifled a chuckle; it seemed that her alien friend was getting a bit territorial.

"Uh… you're welcome?" the girl replied uncertainly. "It was nothing, really." Starfire smiled a little more genuinely, glad that this girl that shared Robin's hair color was not haughty, seeking glory or reimbursement for her good deed.

"Please, what is your name?" The corner of the girl's mouth went up in a jovial grin, and she stuck out her right hand for Starfire to shake.

"I'm Tina. Nice to meet you." The red-haired Tamaranian forwent the handshake, instead peeling herself off of Robin and wrapping her super-human grip around Tina in the form of a hug. There were several cracks –the other Titans' eyes went wide- but the girl showed no signs of discomfort. As soon as Starfire released her, Tina looked around at them, still smiling cheerfully. "Nice to meet you all, really. If you'll excuse me, though, I'd really, _really_ like to go home and shower."

* * *

_So, not too bad, right?_

_Disclaimer: The Teen Titans aren't mine; I'm not that good at creating characters._


	3. A Stitch In Time

_Wow, I completely forgot about this story. This chapter's been sitting there, half-done on my hard drive for almost two months, I'd wager. So, I figured I'd update it before school starts on Monday. (Yikes, that's only two days away!!) Sorry for the long wait to those of you who enjoyed this story. _

_If you like this story, please, check out my other one, _Confiscated_. It's getting much better feedback than this one._

* * *

A Yorkie was lying on the floor, wagging her tail as her teeth tore through a rawhide shoe. She raised her eyes as the door handle turned, her tail's wagging increasing in speed as her human came through the door to the apartment. She hopped to her feet, carrying the shoe in her mouth as she went to greet the girl, who seemed unusually exhausted.

"Hey, Woofers," Tina sighed, bending down to scratch her behind the ears. "I'm gonna get in the shower, 'kay?" Woofers made no response, just wagged her tail, and dropped the rawhide shoe she'd been carrying, tongue lolling out on one side. "Okay." Tina hummed to herself as she selected a towel and new outfit from her closet, nodding her head to a song that she'd heard a few too many times that day to get it out of her head for the moment. After she had entered the bathroom and closed the door –Woofers was a little too curious about the shower, but would scratch and bite if she got wet- she turned on the water, letting it run and get hot while she peeled off her soiled clothing, setting it into the bathroom's trashcan with a forlorn glance.

Tina turned the handle to start the shower, letting out a pleased sigh at the water's temperature. "So, Woofers," she said, raising her voice to speak through the door, "we're gonna have to move again soon. I died today." She paused, pretending the dog had responded with little enthusiasm. "Gee, I'm so glad you care about my well-being. Yeah, I know you like it here. But the next apartment will be even closer to a dog park, I promise. I know how lonely you get." _And how lonely I get_, Tina amended in her head. She'd made a few 'for the day' friends at this dog park, something she wouldn't mind doing again. "Oh, and I'm gonna look for another one where water's free. I really, _really_ like that." This time the dog actually did respond, letting out a yap. "Yeah, I know _you_ don't like baths. Doesn't mean I can't." She could hear Woofers go back to chewing on her rawhide shoe, apparently through with the conversation.

She sighed through her nose, leaning back to let the water rush over her head, rinsing the blood from her hair, calmly going over the things she would have to do in the next week or so to prepare for the move. Tina had a job at Arby's, so all she had to do was tell the manager she was moving; she worked hard, and the man would recommend her to the manager in the next town she moved to, she was sure. She liked working for chain restaurants; it made moving a lot easier, as the jobs essentially carried over from one establishment to the next. Arby's was her favorite fast food place anyway, so the fifty percent employee discount was a definite bonus.

In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd be able to get some boxes from Arby's, too. The supplies came in decent sized boxes, and they just put the empty ones into the recycling. She'd just rescue three or four, with permission, of course, and recycle them her way: filling them with the few material possessions she and Woofers had accumulated. She'd talk to her boss tomorrow, both about the boxes and the recommendation.

She'd need to take the bed frame back to Goodwill, but she'd wait on that until the last possible time; she hated sleeping on the floor. "I can visit the library tomorrow, too," Tina mumbled to herself, watching the blood-tinged water swirl down the drain. Reaching for the shampoo, she continued her thought. "Get online and search for a new apartment. How does Metropolis sound, Woofers?" The dog yapped happily.

* * *

Robin's fingers flew across the keyboard. He was cross-referencing everything he knew about Tina, trying to get a last name and address; he hadn't thanked her properly, and, besides, he knew a handful of people who would like to get in touch with a healer that fast, not all of them good. Using an image the security camera at the bank had snatched, he checked the records on driver's licenses. A few hundred images raced by, until it found a match. "Tina Hawkins. Rolling River Apartments, number 148." Turning the screen off, Robin headed for the door of the commons room, his final destination the garage, his R-Cycle.

Tina had taken off without leaving her last name, very anxious to get out of the bank before an ambulance showed up. She had explained, red in the face, that she had no insurance, and, on a more important note, that the doctors always wanted her to give blood when she did mistakenly get taken to a hospital. The first time this had happened, she'd agreed quickly and given more than once; however, every patient that was given her blood had reacted badly, their cells attacking hers, hers trying to fix theirs as they would in her body. Two of such patients that she knew of, one elderly, one very young, had even died. This explanation had only come with a lot of prodding, and she'd left moments after, rather upset.

Starfire had encouraged his search, and offered her help. Once he had explained to her that it was more of a one-person job, she had wished him luck and floated off to talk to Raven. Robin wanted to warn the girl of the danger she may have placed herself in, the undesirables that would kill, quite literally, to get their hands on a healer, and to offer protection via the Titans. He supposed, if she was interested, she could temporarily live in the Tower; Starfire certainly wouldn't mind having a third girl living among them. He was also worried about shock; she'd seemed fine during their brief talk, but maybe reality was still a little suspended. She had admitted that she'd never been shot, and that sort of thing tended to have negative side effects on people. There was no telling how her mind would deal with the fact that she'd been shot and killed.

Robin revved his engine, tearing off into the hot afternoon, intent on finding Tina Hawkins, resident of apartment 148, Rolling River Apartments.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not mine._

_Robin is being over-dramactic; something I've noticed happens when someone blames themselves for something that went wrong. Tell me what you thought!_


	4. Too Little

_Well, here I am, back from a long string of computer deaths and unfortunate distractions. I was flipping through my stories, wondering which to update, and when I got to this one, I realized I'd already written almost half a chapter. So, I present to you, _Too Little_, the next chapter of _Heroes Don't Always Win.

* * *

Tina sighed out her nose and reached for the handle to turn off the shower. She'd been entirely too long in the bathroom; Woofers was scratching at the door and whining. The water stopped, all too soon, and she leaned out, grabbing her towel off the back of the door. She pressed her face into its softness, breathing the smell of detergent deeply before she peeled it away, and wrapped it loosely around herself. Her hair hung dripping from her shoulders, but she didn't really mind; she was just going to change into PJs for a nap anyway.

She turned the handle slowly; Woofers had learned that the sound meant the door was about to open, and usually backed off a few feet, plopping on the ground and wagging her tail. This time, however, when Tina eased the door open, the Yorkie forced her snout into the crack and scrambled to get into the bathroom. Tina stepped back and the dog squirmed into the room and past her. The girl looked back at her canine companion curiously. "Woofers, what's wrong?" The dog pinned her ears against her head and let out a little growl. Tina cocked an eyebrow at the strange behavior, but shrugged. _She probably just saw a paper move or something, _she thought to herself, rolling her eyes. _Scared-y dog._

Pressing that thought firmly to the front of her mind, she pulled the door open and let out a frightened scream.

Robin flinched as Tina's scream reached his ears. He'd tried to tell the dog to stay quiet, wishing the whole time that he'd brought Beast Boy along, but he'd been unsuccessful. He'd had his back turned, in the act of trying to find dog treats, when she screamed, and now turned around, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

When he caught sight of what she was wearing –or rather, what she _wasn't_ wearing- both hands flew to his eyes. His sheepishness melted into straight embarrassment and words started stumbling out of his mouth. "Sorry –I –uh… I'll just –and –um …yeah." His wild gesturing collapsed into stillness. Tina yelped and jumped behind the bathroom door, clutching her towel tighter.

"Get out!" she yelled. "Get out, get out, get out!" The dog yipped her agreement from behind Tina's leg and Robin bolted out the front door, slamming it shut behind himself. Sighing as her indignant shouts gushed through the walls, he massaged his temples.

"Well, that could have gone better."

* * *

Tina slammed the bathroom door shut, having gotten dressed in record time. Woofers slunk after her, tail between her legs; she didn't like seeing her human like this, but she knew better than to try and cheer her up. Tina paused with her hand on the front door's knob, trying to calm her breathing and her temper. Robin certainly had a good reason for following her home and breaking into her house and scaring her dog and- she huffed, gritting her teeth together. That was not helping. She flicked a strand of wet hair out of her face and threw open the door, ready to give the young hero an earful, eyes narrowed in fury and jaw set in anger. "What exactly do you think you're-" She stopped in midsentence, eyes widening in shock. A split second later, she started to slam the door shut; the young man on the other side of the door wasn't Robin at all.

"Careful, sweetheart. Wouldn't want to hurt yourself." His gray-gloved hand shot out and caught the door, and he forced the opening wider with little effort. Woofers started barking and growling as Tina backed away from the door, anger and color draining from her face. The black-clad intruder took a few steps in, his tattered gray cape swirling after him. "Nice place you've got here." His mechanical voice echoed hollowly down the short hallway as he glanced around, his white skull mask betraying no emotion. He looked at her, the red x splayed across his mask flashing in the bright artificial light.

"Who are you?" Tina asked, her voice hoarser and quieter than she had meant for it to be. The lenses on his mask moved, and she could tell that skull was hiding a smug smile. He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb, firmly landing at a second x's point of intersection.

"The name's Red X." His hand dropped to his side; he took another step forward. His mechanical voice was putting her on edge, and she eyed him suspiciously.

"What do you want?" She'd found her voice, and had managed to sound almost demanding. He let out a playful chuckle, his hand reaching toward a pocket on his utility belt.

"It's not that hard to figure out, is it, babe? Word is, there's a healer in town." Tina's eyes scrambled across her surroundings, searching in vain for a make-shift weapon. "The underworld is already writhing with prospective buyers." A ceramic plate sat on the table a few feet away… but could she reach it in time? "All I had to do was follow our very own Boy Blunder to find the goods." Tina lunged for the plate as Red X pulled something out of his belt and gave it an easy toss. It expanded into a large red x that wrapped around her torso on contact, pinning her arms awkwardly. She gave a cry as she fell, knocking the plate to the ground with her. It shattered loudly, sending shards flying into her unprotected face. Eyes closed and teeth gritted, she shook her head, trying to dislodge the sharp splinters from her cheek. Several fell out; her wounds bled for less than a second, sealing themselves closed quickly, with scarcely a scar left behind to remind anyone they'd been there at all. Red X let out a whistle as he released another x at her face, sealing her mouth shut.

* * *

Robin looked up from his communicator. "And hurry!" he yelled to Starfire as he snapped the lid closed. He had only just finished explaining the embarrassing situation to her –and begging her to come and help smooth it over- when Tina's scream and the breaking glass broke the relative silence. He bolted down the hallway, headed for apartment 148. The door was open; that was a bad sign.

He skidded to an uneasy stop across the welcome mat, just in time to see Red X mock-salute him and press the button on his belt, teleporting away with a captive Tina.

* * *

_ It was a short chapter, I'll admit, and I'm more than certain I've lost most of the few fans I had thanks to my long absence. My apologies and pretty promises to update sooner._

_...SnowFallsSlow...  
_


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